The Lower Ninth Ward
More thought-provoking than the images of what remains are the vast spaces left between them. A single home stands alone in an expanse of freshly-mowed lawns. Repeatedly, concrete walkways, steps leading nowhere, and empty slabs hint at a past life with neighbors. Street names are spray painted on telephone poles. For bearings, house numbers are painted on curbs. Here and there, a decaying home abuts or faces brand new construction. These oddly paired "neighbors" dot otherwise vacant city streets. In one corner, the striking architectural beauty of a new neighborhood is in its infancy.
www.makeitright.com
www.makeitright.com
This story is the result of a recent project to spend 24 hours on the ground in Louisiana with a cell phone camera, an umbrella, and whatever natural light was available and produce two stories. The goal was to practice the process of visual journalism under constraints of weather conditions, technology, and deadlines while focusing instead on choice of subject matter, storylines, and composition. Oil & Fisheries is the other outgrowth of this project.